Traveling to Japan / Best Voice/Chat App

I'm traveling to Japan with family this Fall, and am trying to figure out how our phones will work with the local SIM cards. I've visited in the past with unlocked phones and know how to buy the kiosk SIMs. But this time I am using a "carrier phone" (Pixel 2) and do not know how carrier phones work with foreign SIMs.

As a follow-up question, what is a good Voice and chat (not video) app over a limited data connection? I previously used Hangouts chat, but my senior parents will likely be more comfortable with voice than chat. Ideally we would be able to conference call.

Line says it does conference calls with up to 200 people.___________________________________________________

If your pixel 2 is unlocked, the easiest choice might be to get a Fi SIM just for the Japan trip. (That's what I do for my SO's 5x in Japan & other intl travel. She's on straightalk for unlimited LTE data in the states.)

As a follow-up question, what is a good Voice and chat (not video) app over a limited data connection? I previously used Hangouts chat, but my senior parents will likely be more comfortable with voice than chat. Ideally we would be able to conference call.

Was in Asia recently and WeChat seemed to be the go-to for autotranslation while communicating...

That is true, but that distinction doesn't matter as much these days. Even some budget phones today support both, while most high-end phones do. Plus the OP has already verified his Pixel 2 and Moto G4 Plus work.

keep in mind, there are cdma and gsm phones.verizon phones are not gsm, and don't work well on most gsm carriers.sometimes they "kinda work" tho.

example, verizon/spring = cdma, att tmobile boost metro = gsm

Not sure if this is still an issue as the thread was resurrected a little, but the "Verizon phones are not GSM" is kinda antiquated; that hasn't been accurate for over five or so years. They all readily support GSM, and only locally with Verizon do they use CDMA for 1xRTT and 3G.

Verizon phones are unlocked, so there's no issues in plugging something in (been there, done that). At the airports, there's easy locations to get access to SIM cards. If you're going into Tokyo, I can tell you where they are in both airports. They're slightly more expensive there, but a lot more convenient to do right away. I used the Yahoo! one (it was in a blue and yellow package) so that was SoftBank, and didn't have any issues the times I was there. That one had a fair amount of data, and also had the ability to call on the phone if needed. Never used that last part, but was handy to have the option.

Depending on the number of users you're going to have, it might not be a bad idea to check out the WiFi hotspots you can rent. If you're an app person who wants offline maps, Maps.me allows you do download maps for all of Japan. Hyperdia is pretty useful for the trains, used that a lot.

I find google maps invaluable for train (and bus) schedules in Japan. Leave now? Use one set of trains. Leaving in five minutes? Use a different set of trains.

Plenty of locals do the same.

Speaking of trains ... Remind everyone to get a Suica card first thing.

edit:Just rechecked SIM prices in Japan, and was reminded of why I get an extra Project Fi SIM for Japan, instead: cheaper and more versatile.

That may not work with everyone's phone, but it will with your Pixel 2. (You could actually create a bunch of Fi accounts, activate the SIMs with your Pixel 2, and then hand out the SIMs for use in other phones. See here.)

Why would OP use an Asian-centric app when presumably they are trying to communicate with people back in the US? I don't personally don't know anyone in North America who even knows what is LINE, let alone uses it, apart from recent immigrants from East Asia who want to stay in touch with folks back home. Why not use something that's popular globally, such as WhatsApp? Apparently iMessages is huge in the US, so I'd recommend that, but it looks like OP is using Android. I didn't even know there was such as thing as Green Bubble Syndrome until recently, as very few people use iMessages in Canada, but there you go.

keep in mind, there are cdma and gsm phones.verizon phones are not gsm, and don't work well on most gsm carriers.sometimes they "kinda work" tho.

example, verizon/spring = cdma, att tmobile boost metro = gsm

Not sure if this is still an issue as the thread was resurrected a little, but the "Verizon phones are not GSM" is kinda antiquated; that hasn't been accurate for over five or so years. They all readily support GSM, and only locally with Verizon do they use CDMA for 1xRTT and 3G.

Most carriers in North America are moving to VoLTE, if they haven't already, and 3G (aka WCDMA) has been out for a long while, so even GSM is something that's being left in the dust. Even AT&T turned off their GSM service last year.

Most carriers in North America are moving to VoLTE, if they haven't already, and 3G (aka WCDMA) has been out for a long while, so even GSM is something that's being left in the dust. Even AT&T turned off their GSM service last year.

Yeah, though T-Mobile’s still dragging it along amazingly. CDMA should be turned off next year for Verizon, they just stopped activating 3G only phones. I was mostly trying to avoid the intricacies of UMTS and 3GPP standards.